The Laurel/To Kill a Mockingbird

[mk56]

I am not fond of Greenleaf house kits. (There! Ittiz out in the open; I've confessed.) I can use the Laurel for my To Kill a Mockingbird house. The roof and roof line are not good whatsoever, but the porch is perfect. So, found it at Overstock for under $50.

And yeah. I got it.

Otay! Shoot me! I have a second house and I've not even started the first. Ittiz not my fault - ittiz you guyzez! You made me to it, said I had to. I am innocent of any stashing.

Yeah, and donkeys are gonna fly outta my... Never mind!

mk

[mk56]

1, Can windows/doors be switched out with like Houseworks, etc. doors and windows?

2. How do I eventually get rid of tabs? Like on the roof. Do I just cut them off once house put together?

Thanks!

[CraftyMtnMom]

You don't like Greenleaf houses? Yet, you are here?

You are working with a dollhouse. If the house says it wants other windows, then you work with it and bash if need be. You can cut the walls to fit what it wants, if necessary. Sometimes the house doesn't want the windows (or doors or walls) it came with or the instructions say it is supposed to have. That is what/why we call it bashing.

Get rid of tabs? Just snip them off or sand them off (after it's constructed) if you didn't dry fit and mark what needed to be trimmed. If you dry fit then you can see where they need to be snipped off or trimmed to fit where or when needed.

Nothing wrong with stashing houses (if you can). They needed or wanted to be with you or you wouldn't have gotten them. They just wait patiently for you to pay attention to them (well, usually) or they scream until you listen.

[KathieB]

I've said what I think about your "confession" in a PM.

That said,

1, Can windows/doors be switched out with like Houseworks, etc. doors and windows?

2. How do I eventually get rid of tabs? Like on the roof. Do I just cut them off once house put together?

Thanks!

You can do anything you want regarding doors and windows. As Vicki says, it's a dollhouse. We jokingly refer to the doll house police, but in truth, I've never seen one eyeing any of my bashes, and I bash a LOT. If you're planning to switch out doors and windows, you may want to get the replacements and check the measurements against the doll house openings before you punch out the doors and windows. It may be easier to alter a solid piece of wood than try to re-size or relocate an opening. (Hint: if you decide not to punch out the door or window openings, glue a piece of paper over the edges to keep them from coming out on their own. Wood glue or white glue spread thin. Thin paper, like printer paper, won't interfere with the building or finishing but will keep the piece intact.)

As for the tabs, they generally don't protrude through the tab far enough to need to be cut off. If anything, a bit of Spackle or wallboard mud might be used to fill in the little opening to make a smooth surface.

[havanaholly]

I am not fond of Greenleaf house kits. (There! Ittiz out in the open; I've confessed.)

But I can use the Laurel for my To Kill a Mockingbird house. The roof and roof line are not good whatsoever, but the porch is perfect. So, found it at Overstock for under $50.

And yeah. I got it.

Otay! Shoot me! I have a second house and I've not even started the first. Ittiz not my fault - ittiz you guyzez! You made me to it, said I had to. I am innocent of any stashing.

Yeah, and donkeys are gonna fly outta my... Never mind!

mk

Vicki said it best.

1, Can windows/doors be switched out with like Houseworks, etc. doors and windows?

2. How do I eventually get rid of tabs? Like on the roof. Do I just cut them off once house put together?

Thanks!

You can also make your own doors and windows, I do it all the time. The component doors and windows are made to fit thicker plywood so you will want to shim them under the trim on one side. I put a Houseworks door between the kitchen and the diningroom in the Coventry Cottage. As for the tabs, you can do as Kathie suggests, or you can cover them with whatever exterior treatments you use on the walls and roof and they won't show: http://www.greenleafdollhouses.com/forum/index.php?app=gallery&image=39303 and http://www.greenleafdollhouses.com/forum/index.php?app=gallery&image=56562 and http://www.greenleafdollhouses.com/forum/index.php?app=gallery&image=39298 There's no reason for the tabs to show. Oh, and I hinge the kits' doors and, in the case of the Glencroft, the windows, so they all "work".

[mellifera]

Will it be Scout's house or Boo Radley's house? I love the idea of literary-theme dollhouses.

[mk56]

Will it be Scout's house or Boo Radley's house? I love the idea of literary-theme dollhouses.

You know, I actually thought about doing Boo's house. I think it would be easier to find a dh of that style. And it would be fun to do as I'd get to age the siding and make it grey. But I'm doing Scout's house. That's where my heart lies. I won't be able to get all the rooms in (living room, kitchen, dining room, Scout's bedroom and Jem's bedroom - these are the rooms shown in the movie stills online) but will be able to get some important ones. There are only four rooms in the Laurel.

I'd like to do the kitchen for Calpernia. Of course, need Jem's bedroom as Boo carries him home and sits by his bed. And I think I'll do the dining room as there's a swining door between it and the kitchen and I think that would be neat to do (if I can figure out how!). The fourth room I think will be the living room so I can put Atticus in it. But then there would be no room for Jean Louise. So, I don't know. Oh! I can put her on the swing she sits on with Atticus outside on the porch!!! And put a ham costum out there, too. Can't do a To Kill a Mockingbird house w/o a ham costume!

There are no movie stills of Boo's house. A big reason I'm not doing it.

Thanks a lot for asking!

Edited December 6, 2014 by mk56

[havanaholly]

You can always bash a Primrose or two for your extra rooms.

[mellifera]

I like the idea of adding a Primrose--then you can have the kitchen, living, and dining rooms on the first floor, and the kids' bedrooms upstairs.

[Minis On The Edge]

I am not fond of Greenleaf house kits. (There! Ittiz out in the open; I've confessed.) I can use the Laurel for my To Kill a Mockingbird house. The roof and roof line are not good whatsoever, but the porch is perfect. So, found it at Overstock for under $50.

And yeah. I got it.

Otay! Shoot me! I have a second house and I've not even started the first. Ittiz not my fault - ittiz you guyzez! You made me to it, said I had to. I am innocent of any stashing.

Yeah, and donkeys are gonna fly outta my... Never mind!

mk

It is rather offensive to the owners and fans here to come to the Greenleaf "House" and disrespect their product. I'm mentioning this because we have had others in the past to do it and frankly, Mostly all of us here ARE fans of the Greenleaf houses and don't want to hear others talking bad about the product.

Just saying, we don't allow flaming of others businesses so we totally don't allow it here about Greenleaf. Your cooperation on this is appreciated.

[mk56]

Well, the Primrose is ordered. Glad it was mentioned, Holly. One Primrose will give me the three rooms I want on the bottom. Going left to right as you look at the back will be the kitchen (the Primrose), the dining room, and the parlor/living room with the stairs. I think this will work perfectly.

There will be a lot of bashing needed for the Primrose to look as I want it. But I've nothing better to do and it will be fun.

Looking forward to starting the To Kill a Mockingbird house!

Edit: "ordered" NOT "honored." Where the heck did that come from???

Edited December 7, 2014 by mk56

[mk56]

Perused Pintrest thanks to Art (Thanks, Art!) and came across a tutorial for a wooden swing! Am pretty stoked as my house needs one on the front porch.

[mk56]

Well, my Laurel got here. Was pleased to find warp minimal and not one bit of "delaminating" - I think that's what you call it, where the wood sheets split apart in layers. Yes? Will just be very careful, work s-l-o-w-l-y and handle it with kid gloves and I should be fine. Happy to have the Dremel to get into those wee places to sand.

In perusing the instructions - just glancing, really, as I've yet to READ them - I saw that the Laurel is a Corona Concepts house. I erroneously thought it was just a Greenleaf and so put this thread here. I would be most appreciative if a mod would please move this thread to the appropriate area. THANKS!!!

[Deb]

Corona Concepts is also Greenleaf and pretty much falls under the same umbrella so either place is good. The breakout of GL and CC in the subforums is just to help people find info on a specific house if they're doing a search. I moved the thread over to the CC section for you.

[mk56]

I knew Corona Concepts is a division of Greenleaf, but the instructions said "Corona Concepts" and as that's what it's listed as folks would, naturally, look for it here. I appreciate the help. THANKS!

[mk56]

Was going to get started on Laurel but I guess I need to do some painting first. Tomorrow I think I'll head to Ace for paint and maybe stain for some of the furniture that goes in the brownstone. Will have to remember little nails this time. Need to order the windows and doors and get them done. That will have to wait a bit. Being GA in the 30s, house will be white with black trim or really dark green. Yeah. Maybe dark green. I wonder if I can find any southern-like wallpaper for the dining room. What's "southern-like" wallpaper you ask? Beats me! ;) I'll just know it when I see it. I've decided I won't paper until I get the walls up so I wrap corners like you do in a RL house.

[havanaholly]

Dover Publications has books of 1:12 scale wallpaper for dollhouses.

[mk56]

Thanks, Holly!

[Guest]

You certainly have some serious enthusiasm MK.......3 houses at once.!....amazing. I'm stuck on one at a time. Are you doing the furniture yourself as well? Really looking forward to seeing the album grow.

[mk56]

Mike, I'm only going to work on two at a time because they're different enough: the Laurel and the Bungalow. I can switch back and forth if I get bored or want something different to do. The brownstone is going to hide under my bed for awhile. Three at once? I am crazy, but not certifiable!

I don't have the skill set or knowledge or quick brain - "Hey! This could be a [insert item here]!" - to make my own furniture. I don't think. It's not something I think I want to try as I don't think it will look real. I think I can handle some upholstered chair seats though... Well' see. Sumpin' might hit me where I think "*I* can do that!"

Mike, looked at the new pictures in your gallery and was amazed! I really don't think I could make a leather chair. GREAT job. And yes, that little girl is just a doll!

Though, about making one's own furniture... I've been looking for matching bookcases of the right kind to put on either side of the fireplace in the bungalow and I'm not finding what I want. The thought did cross my mind I could make the bookcases. I don't want to, but I might be able to. I think it would take me forever and a day to do it to my liking.

[Guest]

Mike, I'm only going to work on two at a time because they're different enough: the Laurel and the Bungalow. I can switch back and forth if I get bored or want something different to do. The brownstone is going to hide under my bed for awhile. Three at once? I am crazy, but not certifiable!

I don't have the skill set or knowledge or quick brain - "Hey! This could be a [insert item here]!" - to make my own furniture. I don't think. It's not something I think I want to try as I don't think it will look real. I think I can handle some upholstered chair seats though... Well' see. Sumpin' might hit me where I think "*I* can do that!"

Mike, looked at the new pictures in your gallery and was amazed! I really don't think I could make a leather chair. GREAT job. And yes, that little girl is just a doll!

Though, about making one's own furniture... I've been looking for matching bookcases of the right kind to put on either side of the fireplace in the bungalow and I'm not finding what I want. The thought did cross my mind I could make the bookcases. I don't want to, but I might be able to. I think it would take me forever and a day to do it to my liking.

2 houses at once is better............3's a crowd!

I've been switching between two for the past six month, a lot of people seem to. Bookcases would be a good start.....the ones in my Kensington house on the first floor took around two days of pretty relaxed work.........the big plus though MK is you can make them fit the space you have rather than trying to make the space fit the only ones you can buy!

[mk56]

2 houses at once is better............3's a crowd!

I LOVE IT!!! Too funny.

2 houses at once is better............3's a crowd!

Bookcases would be a good start.....the ones in my Kensington house on the first floor took around two days of pretty relaxed work.........the big plus though MK is you can make them fit the space you have rather than trying to make the space fit the only ones you can buy!

You're right. Good start/fit better. But I don't know... I'll have to see/think about it.

[havanaholly]

I make almost everything that goes into my houses precisely for fit. Bookcases are a great way to start; the one on the right edge of this picture is made from tongue blades and popsicle sticks, the books are printies (the case clock is a House of Miniatures kit):

The kitchen table and chair in the pub were my first scratch build pieces (note more shelves under the window on the back wall):

[Deb]

2 houses at once is better............3's a crowd!

Two on the table, a third in dry fit, and a greenhouse that won't stop yelling at me which means that I need to get busy again. Just for fun I built the Rosedale in both 1:12 and 1:24 simultaneously and that was a real kick. The big Rosedale was a custom house that I completely dressed from drapes to beds to upholstery while I was building it but my hands drew the line at dressing the Baby Rosie at the same time. But it's fun to work on more than one thing at a time.........until I reach The Zone and then nothing will distract me from whatever has captured my Muse.

I couldn't find a bookcase/entertainment/media center that I liked for my Geek Chic house so I made built in bookcases along one wall in the living room. <pausing to look closer at Holly's pictures> As a matter of fact, it was on that same wall. LOL! I just realized that's your Maggie! The biggest advantage to custom building is that everything fits on the shelves just the way you want.

[havanaholly]

...I couldn't find a bookcase/entertainment/media center that I liked for my Geek Chic house so I made built in bookcases along one wall in the living room. <pausing to look closer at Holly's pictures> As a matter of fact, it was on that same wall. LOL! I just realized that's your Maggie! The biggest advantage to custom building is that everything fits on the shelves just the way you want.

And that's Deb's cactus on the table!